August 10, 2008

Countdown talk: No.21 Rutgers

Quick take:The Scarlet Knights are going to truly need a team approach now with Ray Rice in the NFL, but there's more holes that need to be filled besides that. The defense was 17th overall last year in total defense (327.5 yards per game), but I want to see if they can still improve. This is a pivotal year for the program, and the Scarlet Knights need to prove 2006 wasn't a fluke. Those four brutal conference road games make me nervous, but for now, this is a perfect spot for Rutgers.My player to watch:QB Mike Teel (6-4, 220). Teel is 21-8 in his career, and helped the Scarlet Knights offense set an NCAA record in 2007, becoming the first team with a 3,000 yard passer, 2,000 yard rusher and two 1,000 yard receivers in a single season. Teel, who's on the Johnny Unitas preseason watch list, completed 203-of-349 passes for 3,147 yards with 20 touchdowns last year.